Charmaine Crooks and Sasha Gollish named among influential Canadian women

Pan Am Games 1,500m bronze medallist Sasha Gollish and Olympic 4x400m relay silver medallist Charmaine Crooks were among a long list of Canadian women in sport recognized for making an impact in their area. The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced this on Thursday.

RELATED: The Canadian women who dared to break through.

Crooks, a five-time Olympian, was named as Wall of Influence inductee for being named one of Canada’s most influential women on five or more occasions.

She was the first Canadian women to break 2:00 in the 800m and is on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). Crooks continues to be an ambassador for various non-profit organizations at the international level.

Honoured to have been named to the @CAAWS ‘Ones to Watch List.’ Amazing list of 2015 Most Influential Women.https://t.co/dVy3Y4JEC7

— sasha gollish (@SGollishRuns) January 21, 2016

Gollish, an Academic All-Canadian with the University of Toronto, was names as part of the list of “Ones to Watch.” In addition to volunteering with Fast and Female and being on the Board of Directors for Morning Glory Cycling Club as the Safety and Advocacy Director, she is also completing her PhD in Engineering.

RELATED: Canadian Sasha Gollish runs huge PB, hits world half standard in Texas.

Congrats @CAAWS Most Influencial recipients 2015. Proud to be on Wall of Influence w @CQualtro @ClaraHughes_ + more #womeninsport Thx @CAAWS — CharmaineCrooks (@charmainecrooks) January 21, 2016

A full list of the recipients can be found below (in alphabetical order):

CAAWS Most Influential Women List of 2015

— Stacey Allaster, Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)
— Dr. Julia Alleyne, Chief Medical Officer, TO2015
— Brenda Andress, Commissioners of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League
— Rachel Bedingfield, Co-Chair, WomenActive-NS
— Martha Billes, Chairman Emeritus, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities
— Chandra Crawford, President and Founder, Fast and Female
— Guylaine Demers, Chief Organizer, Conversation 2015 Women and Sport
— Waneek Horn-Miller, Pan American Games Chef de Mission
— Kaillie Humphries, Olympian, Athlete Ambassador
— Sue Hylland, President and CEO, Canada Games Council
— Lorraine Lafrenière, CEO, Coaching Association of Canada
— Rachel Lewis, COO, Vancouver Whitecaps
— Dr. Margo Mountjoy, Vice President, UANA
— Kelly Murumets, President and CEO of Tennis Canada
— Michele O’Keefe, President and CEO of Canada Basketball
— Karen O’Neill, CEO of Canadian Paralympic Committee
— Christine Sinclair, Captain, Canadian Women’s Soccer
— Tricia Smith, President, Canadian Olympic Committee
— Hayley Wickenheiser, Member, IOC Athletes’ Commission
— Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario

Ones to Watch

— Kadeisha Buchanan, Member of Canadian National Soccer team, 2015 BMO Canadian Female Player of the Year
— Sasha Gollish, 2015 Academic All-Canada, bronze medallist at Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games in 1500m
— Brooke Henderson, No. 18 in the world, LGPA card at age 17
— Kia Nurse, Member of Canadian National Basketball Team, gold medallist at Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games and 2015 FIBA Americas
— Aurélie Rivard, Para-swimmer of the Year (Swimming Canada), 7x medallist at Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games

Wall of Influence Inductees

— Charmaine Crooks
— Melody Davidson
— Clara Hughes
— Nancy Lee
— Anne Merklinger
— Chantal Petitclerc
— Carla Qualtrough
— Beckie Scott

Full details of the CAAWS release can be found here.